Cyclerpedia - How can we help you?

Why do I get so many red days?

If you just got started with Natural Cycles Prevent it’s normal to get more red days. Natural Cycles is getting to know your unique cycle and probably hasn’t detected your ovulation yet. It is highly individual how fast ovulation can be detected but it usually takes 1-3 cycles of correct measuring. So be patient and keep measuring, the red days will decrease with each cycle as the app gathers more data on you.

Other reasons why you might get you more red days are:

After hormonal contraceptives

Our data shows that those who have previously taken hormonal contraception and just started with Natural Cycles experience more red days in the beginning. This is because it can take a while before your body starts ovulating again and the first cycles are often highly irregular. Since the first ovulation can come early or late, without warning, you will receive red days until it happens. Read more here.

Fluctuating temperatures

If your temperatures fluctuate, the app could give you more red days since it becomes more difficult to detect ovulation. Make sure that you always measure as soon as you wake up, and mark the temperature as deviating if you sleep more or less than usual (± 2 hours). Also, mark the temperature as deviating due to 'Alcohol' if you drink alcohol and feel hungover when you wake up or if you’re ill. Read more about how and when to measure.

Irregular cycles or anovulatory cycles

Some women have more irregular cycles than others. It’s rare that ovulation occurs on exactly the same day every cycle but for some women, it varies a bit more than a couple of days. In some cycles, ovulation may not occur at all for various reasons, this is known as anovulatory cycles. These two factors are especially common if you have recently given birth, breastfeeding, or were using hormonal birth control. Read more here.
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Irregular cycles will give you more red days since your ovulation might be delayed or as a precaution if your ovulation would occur earlier than usual. As your cycle becomes more and more regular, you'll get more and more green days.